Progesterone receptors are expressed with higher frequency by optic nerve sheath meningiomas

Optic nerve sheath meningiomas are infrequent neuropathological specimens as conservative management of these benign tumors is often adopted. It is established that progesterone receptor expression in meningiomas may be of functional significance in the growth of these neoplasms and is related to the tumor grade and likelihood of recurrence. In addition, progesterone receptor expression can be indicative of a potential response of surgically less accessible meningiomas to hormonal treatments. We analyzed 30 surgically resected optic nerve sheath meningiomas and showed high levels of progesterone receptor expression compared to benign meningiomas from other intracranial sites suggesting these tumors may be amenable to hormonal therapy.